Gas range



April 4, 1939.

s. H. HOBSON I 2,153,086

GAS RANGE Original Filed April 18, 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet l all-0W April 4, 1939. HOBSQN 2,153,086

GAS RANGE Original Filed April 18, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 5. H. HOBSON April 4, 1939.

GAS RANGE Original Filed April 18, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 x n 7% R Patented Apr. 4, 1939 UNITED STATES GAS RANGE Stanley H. Hobson, Rockford, Ill., assignor to Geo.

D. Roper Corporation, Rockford, 111., a corporation of Illinois Original application April 18, 1934, Serial No.

Divided and this application March 4, 1935, Serial No. 9,183

2 Claims.

This application is a division of my copending application Serial No. 721,101, filed April 18, 1934.

This invention relates to gas ranges, and is more particularly concerned with improvements in the cooking top section.

The salient feature of my invention consists in the provision of a gas supply manifold extending from front to rear through the middle of the burner box with valves tappedtherein on opposite sides and detachably connected directly with the cooking top burners, thus affording an extremely simple, compact and economical construction, and one in which the four cooking top burners are of identical construction, interchangeable with one another, and easily removable and replaceable. In other words, the present invention gives the much desired unit design.

The principal object of my invention consists in providing an oven valve mounted directly on the front end of the manifold so that its operating stem can project directly through the control panel at the front of the burner box for operation by a valve handle mounted on the end of the stem, and so that an oven temperature dial turning with the stem is visible directly through a window in the panel, the stem being connected with the rotary temperature adjustment of the oven regulator so as to set the regulator simultaneously in the opening of the valve.

Other objects consist in:

(1) The provision of a novel valve handle mounting for the handles that operate the valves of the cooking top burners, the mounting providing quickly detachable, swingable connection 35 with the control panel, as an aid to quick and easy assembling at the factory and to permit easier replacement of damaged or broken handles by the seller or user, and

(2) The provision of simple and economical universal joint connections between the valve handles and the valves as well as between the oven valve stem and the oven regulator, each comprising a rod formed at the ends to provide central ball portions to fit slidably in axial bores in the handles and valve stems, and oppositely extending radial trunnions to fit slidably in longitudinal slots in the handles and stems, the ball portions servingto locate the interfitting parts in coaxial relation, and the trunnions serving to transmit rotary motion from one to the other, the interfitting parts being relieved sufiiciently where the one enters the other so as to allow for the desired 56 to the other.

imately on the line 2-2 of Figure 1 with the 19 burners removed;

Figs. 3 and 4 are horizontal sections on the correspondingly numbered lines of Fig. 2, Fig. 3 showing the lighter with all but one burner removed, and Fig. 4 showing the lighter removed better to disclose the manifold and the valves connected therewith as well as their operating means, this View also showing the connections between the oven valve on the manifold and the oven burner and oven regulator;

Fig. 5 is a vertical section on the line 5-5. of Fig. 2 looking at the inside of the control panel to show the valve handle mountings;

Fig. 6 is a horizontal section through one of the valve handle mountings on the line 6--6 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged view partly in plan and partly in horizontal section through one of the universal joint operating connections between a valve handle and valve stem, and

Figs. 8 and 9 are sectional details on the correspondingly numbered lines of Fig. 7 looking in the directions indicated by the arrows.

The same reference numerals are applied to corresponding parts throughout the views.

Referring to Figs. 1-4, the numeral 14 designates the cooking top which is of sheet metal and has openings l5 therein for the burners l6. Depressed ledges ll bound the openings I5 and support sheet metal bowls i8 in which openings IQ of four leaf clover or star shape to conform to the burners l6, are provided for the projection therethrough of the burners (see Fig. 1). Secondary air to support combustion flows upwardly through these openings around the burners. The burners 16 are all double burners, that is, each has a small simmer burner 20 at the center thereof which incidentally also serves as a lighter for the main burner, the lighting being accomplished by the propagation of flame through radial slots 2| in the top of the main burner 16 extending from the annular space 22 around the simmer burner to a continuous peripheral slot defined between the top and the body of the main burner. Both sections of each burner burn with a sheet flame, the flame of the simmer section being circular and that of the main section star shaped. Secondary air also flows upwardly through the annular space 22 between the burner sections to support combustion at the simmer burner. The upstanding radial ribs 24 on the top of each burner reach to a plane above the cooking top l4, and utensil supports 25 conformed to the outline of the burners as shown in Fig. 1 have the tops thereof slightly above or level with the burners for proper support of the utensils, and are supported on the cooking top by legs 26 radiating from the supports and fitting in depressions 21 in the marginal portions of the bowls l8 for proper registration of the parts. Downward projections 28 on two legs of each utensil support enter holes 29 provided therefor in the cooking top to further assure proper registration of the bowl and support with the burner and to prevent slippage of the support out of position when a utensil is slid across the top thereof. So much for a general understanding of the type of stove to which the present invention relates; it may be called a semi-closed top stove, because while the cooking top I4 is closed, the bowl I8 and utensil support 25 cooperating with each burner l6 and its subburner 25, form a heat concentrating unit for efficiently heating a utensil placed over the burner, while allowing final escape of the products of combustion to the atmosphere, instead of having the products conducted. under the cooking top to a discharge flue. It should, however, be understood that the present invention is not limited to application to this type of stove, but

: might be applied to a gas range having an open or closed cooking top.

Central manifold The burner box compartment beneath the cooking top is closed at the front by a wall 30 and at the back by the back wall 3| of the range. The gas supply manifold 32 in accordance with my invention, extends through themidle of the burner box from front to back. It is preferably supported from the cooking top on two hangers 33 and 34 near the front and rear ends, respectively, the rear end projecting through an opening in the back wall 3| for connection with the line. The manifold 32 supplies gas to the cooking 'top burners Hi and their simmer burners 20 through valves 85 tapped into the manifold from opposite sides, as clearly appears in Figs. 3 and 4. These valves are of the rotary disk type and each has two jets 35 and 31 communicating with passages in the body or stator to deliver gas to the mixers for the two sections of a burner. The rotary disk or rotor 38 of each valve is turned by means of a stem 39 and has passages therein registering with the passages in the body in different positions so as to deliver gas first to the jet 3! alone for lighting of the simmer burner 28, and thereafter, upon further turning of the disk 38, to the both jets, to light the main burner I6, and then, upon further turning of the disk, the main burner l6 has more and more gas supplied thereto, while the simmer burner burns with an unchanged flame. The valves 35 are furthermore so constructed that a. detent drops into a recess in the turning of the disk 33 to denote the position at which gas is delivered to the simmer burner alone. The action of the detent is perceptible to the operator in turning the handle 40 connected with the valve through a rod 4|. There are four handles for the four cooking top burners, and a like number of rods 4| and 4|, the rods 4| being longer than the rods 4| but otherwise of the same construction, two long rods 4| being required to reach the valves for the two rear burners, and two short rods 4| being required to operate the valves for the front burners. The rods 4| are extended between the jets 36 and 37 of the front valves, as indicated in Fig. 4.

The fact that the manifold 32 is centrally located and has the valves 35 projecting from opposite sides thereof for direct communication with the mixers of the burners makes it possible to have all of the burners of identical construction, interchangeable with one another. In other Words, this gives the much desired unit design. It also results in a saving in cost and a generally improved and better appearing construction, and one in which the burners, as should appear, are quickly and easily removable and replaceable for inspection and cleaning.

Open valve mounting A special valve 42 is provided on the front end of the manifold 32 for control of the oven burner 43 and its pilot burner 44. The valve has its inlet coupled directly to the front end of the manifold, as indicated at 42' and has pipes 45 and 46 communicating with outlet passages in the va1ve,1the pipe 45 supplying gas to the oven burner 43 through an oven regulator 41 which has a thermostat 48 extending therefrom into the oven that is heated by the burner 43. The pipe 46 communicates directly with the pilot burner 44. The valve 42 similarly to the valves 35 is of the rotary disk type, and the pipes 45 and 46 extend from the stator thereof, the rotor 48 having passages therein to register with the passages in the stator when the rotor is turned by means of its stem 49 and handle 58. Now, a dial 5| bearing oven 4 temperature graduations is turned with the rotor 48 and indicates the setting for the oven regulator 47, the rotary temperature adjustment cam 52 of said regulator being turned with the stem 49 through a. rod 53 having a universal joint connection at 54 with the rear end of the stem 49 projecting from behind the stator of the valve 42, and having a similar universal joint connection at 55 with the rotary cam 52. The dial 5| is visible through a window 58 in the control panel 5'! on the front wall 30, and in operation, the handle 50 is turned in a clockwise direction from the off position to, first of all open the valve 42 for the delivery of gas to the oven burner 43 and pilot burner 44, and then by further turning of the handle 50, the oven regulator 41 is set for a selected oven temperature indicated by the dial 5|. An arm 58 behind the dial 5| is turned with the dial and serves by engagement with either one of the two pins 59 provided on the stator of the valve 42 to limit rotation of handle 58.

The mounting of the oven valve 42 on the front end of the manifold 32, it should appear from the foregoing description, is highly advantageous not only because it simplifies the connection of the valve with the manifold and provides good support for the valve, but also because the stem 49 can project directly through the panel 51 for operation by means ofhandle 58 mounted directly thereon, and the oven temperature dial 5| is at the same time disposed directly behind the window 56 in the panel 51 toindicate the setting of the oven regulator 41. This location of the valve 42 also enables the simple operating connection 53 between the rear end of the stem 49 of the valve and the rotary cam 52 of the oven regulator 41.

Combination lighter and burner support The device indicated generally by the numeral 62 is the lighter for the cooking top burners, and rests on the saddles 69 on the valves 35 next to the shoulders 6i. The lighter has a pilot light casing 63 for a pilot burner 64, and its arms 65 provide flash-back passages 66 through which gas from the jets 14 of the simmer burners 29 can be conducted to the burner 69 for ignition. The claws 61 on the outer ends of the arms serve to support the burners in the manner fully described in the parent application. In other words, the lighter 62 is a combination lighter and burner support.

Valve operating means Referring to Figs. 4-9, it will be observed that the valves 35 are all operated by handles 49 through rods 4I--4I detachably connected at opposite ends with the stems 39 of the valves and the shanks 89 of the handles. The rods are formed at both ends with tapered portions 99 ending in crossheads 9| of approximately cylindrical form. At the middle of each crosshead there are rounded projections on diametrically opposite sides which together form a circular enlargement 92 at the middle of the crosshead 9| in a plane normal to the axis of the rod. The periphery of each of these circular portions 92 is rounded as appears in Fig. 7, so as to permit oscillation of the rod relative to the valve stem 39 and handle 49. With this construction the circular portion at one end of the rod is slidably and oscillatably received in an axial bore 93 in the valve stem 39, and the circular portion at the other end of the rod is similarly received in an axial bore 94 in the handle 49, whereby to center the one end of the rod accurately with respect to the handle. The valve stem is slotted longitudinally as at 95 to slidably receive the ends of the crosshead 9|, and longitudinal slots 96 are provided in the handle to slidably receive the crosshead 9| on the other end of the rod. A certain range of angular movement of the rod in one plane with respect to the valve stem and handle is allowed by reason of the crossheads being slidable in the slots 95 and 96, and angular movement of the rod in a transverse plane is permitted by reason of the crossheads being cylindrical and therefore free to oscillate in the slots. The movement permitted in one plane is limited by the slots 96 which, as appears in Fig. 9, are made wider than the end of the rod. A predetermined range of movement in the other plane is secured by the flaring of the outer end of the slots 95, as indicated at 91, and the flaring of the outer end of the slots 96 as at 98. The fact that the ends of the rods are tapered to such a reduced width as appears in Fig. 7 is, of course, also responsible for the construction permitting an appreciable range of universal movement. The construction besides being so simple and economical to manufacture also has the advantage of easy assembling and disassembling; the panel 51 carrying the handles 49 is removable upon removal of the four wing nuts 99 threaded on studs I99 projecting inwardly from the panel through the front wall 39 and cross-piece I9I, and in such removal and replacement, the front ends of the rods II-4| slide easily out of or into the shanks of handles 49. The rods are likewise easily connected to or disconnected from the stems 39 of the valves.

The handles 49 are for the sake of appearance preferably molded of plastic material. A bearing portion I92 is formed on the shank thereof between an annular groove I93 and an annular shoulder I94. With this construction, the shank is then adapted to be inserted in a circular hole I95 in the panel 51, and a U-shaped spring wire clip I96 is snapped into the groove I93 as clearly appears in Figs. 5 and 6, whereby to detachably secure the handle in place, with the shoulder I94 in abutment with the outside of the panel and the clip I96 in abutment with the inside. The shank of the handle is arranged to turn with respect to the clip, the latter being held against turning by means of a projection I91 on the inside of the panel 51. The end of the spring clip I96 is bent at right angles, as clearly appears in Fig. 6 so that it may be moved into or out of position easily by finger pressure when the handle is being installed or removed.

It is believed the foregoing description conveys a good understanding of all of the objects and advantages of my invention. The appended claims have been drawn with a view to covering all legitimate modifications and adaptations.

I claim:

1. In a gas stove comprising a cooking top having a burner section therebeneath, a valve therein for controlling flow of gas to a burner in said section, said valve having a rotary stem, a front wall for the burner section having a panel detachably secured thereto, a valve operating handle having a shank rotatably mounted in an opening provided in said panel, the rotary valve stem and the related handle shank having similarly conformed irregular sockets provided therein opening toward one another, and a valve operating rod having the ends thereof conformed for direct sliding detachable operating connection with the stem and handle in the sockets provided therein, the interfitting sockets and rod ends being constructed to permit a predetermined range of universal movement of the one interfitting part with respect to the other.

2. In a gas stove a panel, a valve operating handle having a hollow reduced cylindrical bearing portion rotatably received in a bearing opening provided therefor in the panel, the handle having abutment with the front of the panel adjacent said opening, the shank having an external annular groove provided therein behind the cylindrical bearing portion substantially in the plane of the inside of the panel, a substantially U-shaped spring clip having arcuate portions on the arms thereof frictionally received in the groove on diametrically opposite sides of the shank, the clip also having abutment with the inside of the panel to releasably hold the shank of said handle against displacement from the bight portion against turning with the handle.

STANLEY H. HOBSON. 

